Pentagon against supply of F16 fighter jets to Ukraine because of high cost
2023.02.28 14:32
Pentagon against supply of F16 fighter jets to Ukraine because of high cost
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – Due to the length of time it would take, the cost, and Ukraine’s most pressing needs as the war nears its one-year mark, a senior official from the Defense Department argued against providing Ukraine with F-16s and the necessary training at this time.
According to Colin Kahl, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, supplying Ukraine with F-16s and training its pilots to operate the fourth-generation fighter will take 18 months. Kahl stated that since F-16s are not one of Kyiv’s top three priorities at the moment, doing so would quickly deplete the authorized funding for US assistance to Ukraine.
Kahl stated at the House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday regarding the oversight of US aid to Ukraine, “It’s just hard for me to tell any member of Congress or the American people that the best use of that dollar spent right now is on F-16s.”
According to Kahl, during their meeting last week in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized to President Joe Biden that Ukraine’s top three priorities remain air defenses, artillery, and armor.
According to Kahl, sending 36 older F-16s to Ukraine will cost between $2 and $3 billion, or roughly half of what the US Air Force anticipates Ukraine will ultimately require to replace its Soviet-era fighters.
He added that it would take three to six years to provide Ukraine with new F-16s.
Additionally, Kahl stated that Ukraine may receive distinct fighter jets, such as the Swedish Gripen or British Tornado, which require distinct training. He stated that training Ukrainians on the F-16 system if they might not receive it “doesn’t make sense.”
